29th
December 1939
1939 Brought Changes To Pontefract Nearly Forgotten In War
Any
review of the year 1939 must necessarily begin with the outbreak of war
at the beginning of September, but the calamity itself, and its
repercussions on life in the Pontefract district, are so recent as not
to need recalling.
International
tension shadowed the whole year, and made a deepening impression on
local districts when, in April, Pontefract staged its first big National
Service rally. An immediate increase in anti-aircraft defences including
the raising of a new regiment, the 96th Anti-Aircraft Regiment of the
Royal Artillery (Territorial Association), with batteries at Pontefract
and Castleford.
In
July a blackout practice over the whole Pontefract district was arranged
and 300 of the first group of Militiamen arrived in Pontefract. Before
that fateful 3rd of September there was the feverish activity of Civil
Defence workers, the hurried barricades of public buildings and a
general air of excitement. Pontefract, like the country at large, had
not long to wait before war-time conditions made themselves felt, for in
the early hours of Monday, after the declaration of war on Sunday, they
were roused from sleep by an air raid alarm, which happily proved false.
Quiet has reigned in local districts since, although the work of
bringing the civil defence services to efficiency, and the inauguration
of Red Cross and other funds, has gone on quietly but steadily.
The
war at sea was brought into sharper relief in the town when the Aircraft
Carrier ‘Courageous’ was sunk by a German submarine, and Stoker
David Smith of Monkhill Avenue, Pontefract, who survived the disaster,
visited his home.
Royalty
has paid two visits to local districts during the year. The Duke of Kent
visited the West Bank Land Settlement Colony at Snaith, and the
Featherstone Social Services Centre, during a three day visit to
Yorkshire in June. In October, the Princess Royal, as Senior Commandant
of the Women’s Auxiliary Territorial Service, paid a visit of
inspection to the local Company.
1939 INDEX
